Combined desk and table



.lilly 18, 1944. M K COOPER 2,354,106

COMBINED DESK AND TABLE Filed Feb. 20, 1943 M INVNTOR. BY 55 ML M ATTORNEY.

Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES NPATENT OFFICE COMBINED DESK AND TABLE Mary Kathryn Cooper, Dayton, Ohio Application February 20, 1943, Serial No. 476,541

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined desk and table and is designed more particularly for use in small apartments, hotel rooms and other places where furniture space is limited and it is desirable that one piece of furniture shall be adaptable for a plurality oi uses.

One object of the invention is to provide a structure the several parts of which may be relatively adjusted to consti-tute either a desk or a table.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a structure which may be converted into any one of a plurality of tables of specifically different types.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a structure which will not only have a wide range of utility but will be of attractive appearance in each of the several forms to which it may be adjusted.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a structure which can be easilyv and quickly converted from one form to another form.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a structure which will comprise only a small number of relativelymovable parts and which can be adjusted without the use of actuating devices or of supplemental supporting elements.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the adjustable structure in desk form; Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe structure with the parts adjusted to form one type of table; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the structure with the parts adjusted to form a second type of table; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the structure withv the parts adjusted to form a console buffet; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structurer as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the` structure as shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 71 is a sectional detail view showing a portion of the bearing and guide.

The structure, or article of furniture, in its preferred form, comprises two pedestals I0 and a top which preferably consists of two parts orA members Il and I2 of equal size and superposed one upon the other. The two members of the topl are relatively movable so that they maybe either superposed one upon the other or-placed edge to edge in a common plane, and are shown at I3 as hinged' one to the other at their rear edges. The pedestals are shown as of the closed, drawer' type as in the present instance it was desired to give the structure in its one form the appearance of a conventional knee opening desk. Howevelxthe pedestals may take any-suitpiece top, as shown in Fig. l.

able form and may be of either the open or closed type. Preferably the pedestals are of a fore and aft length `approximating the width of the top when the two members thereof are superposed one upon the other.

To form the desk the pedestals are moved to positions adjacent the respective ends of the two It will be obvious of course that the pedestals may be provided with any suitable number of drawers in any suitable arrangement or that other supporting devices or shelves may be substituted for the drawers. Bymoving the pedestals one toward the other into engaging or substantially abutting positons, as shown` in Fig. 2, the two pedestals constitute in effect a single pedestal and the top, with the two members thereof in superposed relation, projects lengthwise beyond the sides of the pedestals and thus forms a table at which two persons may be seated, there being knee room beneath each end of the table.

By moving the table top forwardly from theA position shown in Fig. 2 for approximately half the width of one of the top members and then moving the top member into the same lplane with and into edge engagement with the bottom top member there is formed a tabletop as shown in Fig. 3., which projects on all four sides of the abutting pedestals and at which four` or more persons may be seated. n

When the structure is in the position shown in Fig. l or Fig. 2 the upper member or leaf of the table may be moved to an upright position and supported in that position in any suitable manner, as by placing the structure close to a wall. When the upper member of the desk top of Fig. 1 is moved to this position it forms a console buffet which `can be utilized for many purposes. When the topmember of the table of Fig. 2 is moved to an upright position the resulting structure is a console table or chest.` The conversion of the table of Fig, 2 into a console table is obviousand requires no illustration.

The pedestals may rest directly upon the floor and the top may rest directly upon the tops of the pedestals. However, to facilitate the relative movement ofthe parts it is preferable that the pedestals be supported on casters of the semiinvisible type, and that anti-friction devices be interposed between the top and the upper ends of the pedestals, together with means for guid ing the relative movement of the pedestals and the top and of limiting thosel movements. The anti-friction and` guiding devices, may take varie ous forms and may be arranged in various ways;

and, as here shown, each pedestal is provided in its top, adjacent the respective corners thereof, with an anti-friction ball I4 seated in ametal socket I5 embedded in the top of the pedestal. The lower member II of the top should be provided with a metal facing I6 to engage the balls and the ball sockets I5 should be of such depth that the balls will extend only slightly above the surface of the pedestal so thatthe lower surface of the top will be close to the upper surfaces of the pedestals. The arrangement of the antifriction balls is such as to prevent tilting of the top members. The guide means as here shown comprises two pins or studs I'I mounted in the tops of the respective pedestals and extending respectively into L-shaped guideways I8 formed in the lower surface of the top. In the arrangement shown the pins II are arranged adjacent the inner edges of the pedestals and when the latter are in their outermost positions as shown in Fig. 5 the studs will be at the outer end of the longitudinal portions of the L-shaped guideways. The movement of the pedestals to their innermost positions moves the studs I'I into the angular junction between the longitudinal and transverse portions of the respective guideways and thus releases the top for movement forwardly with relation to the pedestals, this forward movement bringing the rear ends of the transverse portions of the guideways into engagement with the pins, as shown in Fig. 6. It will be apparent that the guiding means constitutes a positive lock which prevents the transverse movement of the top when the pedestals are in their outer positions and prevents the movement of the pedestals to their outer positions after transverse movement has been imparted to the table top, and also that the engagement of the pins with the ends of the guideways positively limits the movement of the parts in the respective directions. It will be noted that the adjustment of the top with relation to the pedestals is effected while the upper member I 2 is superposed on the lower member II and that after this adjustment has been completed the upper member is moved into the plane of the lower member and is supported on the bearing balls of the pedestals but it has no movement while in engagement with those balls.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of furniture comprising a top, having upper and lower members supported one upon the other, and two pedestals having their upper ends in supporting engagement with the respective end portions of the lower member of said top, said pedestals being movable to positions adjacent the respective ends of said top or to substantially abutting positions spaced from said ends, said top being connected with said pedestals for sliding movement thereon transversely to the direction of movement of said pedestals to space the rear edge of the lower member of said top from the adjacent edges of said pedestals, `and the upper member being pivotally connected with said lower member for movement into supporting engagement with the tops of said pedestals in the rear of said lower member to locate said members in the same horizontal plane.

2. An article of furniture comprising two pedestals, a top supported on said pedestals, said top and said pedestals being connected for movement with relation one to the other both lengthwise of and transversely to said top, anti-friction elements interposed between said top and the respective pedestals, and means to prevent the relative movement of said top and said pedestals in one direction until a predetermined relative movement thereof in another direction has been completed.

3. An article of furniture comprising two pedestals, a top supported on said pedestals, said top and said pedestals being connected for movement with relation one to the other both lengthwise of and transversely to said top, anti-friction elements interposed between said top and the respective pedestals, and means to prevent the p transverse movement of said top with relation to said pedestals until said pedestals have been moved lengthwise of said top to substantially abutting positions midway between the ends of said top and to prevent the movement of said pedestals from said abutting positions after said top has been moved transversely and before it is returned to its initial position with relation to said pedestals.

4. An article of furniture comprising a top having upper and lower members supported one upon the other and two pedestals having their upper ends in supporting engagement with the respective end portions of the lower member of said top, said pedestals being movable to positions adjacent the respective ends of said top and to substantially abutting positions spaced from said ends, said topbeing connected with said pedestals for movement transversely to the direction of movement of said pedestals to space the rear edge of the lower member of said top from the adjacent edges of said pedestals and the upper member being pivotally connected with said lower member for movement into supporting engagement with the tops of said pedestals in the rear of said lower member to locate said members in the same horizontal plane, each pedestal including a plurality of anti-friction elements having supporting engagement with said top, the antil friction elements of each pedestal being so arranged that when said upper member is supported on said lower member all of said elements will engage said lower member and when said top has been moved transversely with relation to said pedestal and the two members thereof are. in the same plane a part of said anti-friction elements will engage said lower member and another part thereof will engage said upper member, thereby preventing the tilting of said top in all operative positions.

5. An article of furniture comprising a top, having upper and lower members supported one upon the other, and two pedestals having their upper ends in supporting engagement with the respective end portions of the lower member of said top, said pedestals being movable to positions adjacent the respective ends of said top or to substantially abutting positions spaced from said ends, said top being movable on said pedestals transversely to the direction of movement of said pedestals tospace the rear edge of the lower member of said top from the adjacent edges of said pedestals, and the upper member being movable with relation to said lower mem'- ber into supporting engagement with the tops of said pedestals in the rear of said lower member to locate said members in the same horizontal plane, said pedestals and said top having interengaging parts to control the direction of the relative movements thereof and to limit such movements.

6. An article of furniture comprising a top having upper and lower members supported one upon the other, and two pedestals having their upper ends in supporting engagement with the respective end portions of the lower member of said top, said pedestals being movable to positions adjacent the respective ends of said top or to substantially abutting positions spaced from said ends, said top being movable on said pedestals transversely to the direction of movement of said pedestals to space the rear edge of the lower member of said top from the adjacent edges of said pedestals, and the upper member being pivotally connected with said lower member for movement into supporting engagement with the tops of said pedestals in the rear of said lower member to locate said members in the same horizontal plane, said top and said pedestals having cooperating parts to prevent the transverse movement of said top while said pedestals are positioned adjacent the ends of said top.

7. An article of furniture comprising a top having upper and lower members supported one upon the other, and two pedestals having their upper ends in supporting engagement with the respective end portions of the lower member of said top, said pedestals being movable to positions adjacent the respective ends of said top or to substantially abutting positions spaced from said ends,said top being movable on said pedestalsA transversely to the direction of movement of said pedestals to space the rear edge of the lower member of said top from the adjacent edges of said pedestals, and the upper member being movable with relation to said lower member into supporting engagement with the tops of said pedestalsin the rear of said lower member to locate said vmembers in the same horizontal plane, the lower member of said top being provided with two right angle grooves having alined portions extending lengthwise of said top and parallel portions extending transversely thereto and pins carried by said pedestals and extending into the respective grooves.

MARY KATHRYN COOPER. 

